Haptic directional feedback handles for locating devices

ABSTRACT

Locating devices and systems providing haptic tactile feedback are disclosed. In one embodiment, a locator includes a haptic handle configured to provide directional signals through an operator&#39;s sense of touch to aid in locating and tracing a buried conductor or other object such as a pipe or cable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/570,084, filed Aug. 8, 2012, entitled HAPTIC DIRECTIONALFEEDBACK HANDLES FOR LOCATION DEVICES. This application also claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/615,850, filed Mar. 26, 2012, entitled HAPTIC DIRECTIONALFEEDBACK HANDLES FOR LOCATION DEVICES, and to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/521,173, filed Aug. 8, 2011, entitled HAPTICDIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK HANDLE FOR LOCATION DEVICES. The content of theseapplications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for allpurposes.

FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to one or more locating systems andrelated accessories, apparatus, computer program products, and methodsfor directional navigation in various environments based on sensoryfeedback, including tactile feedback. More specifically, but notexclusively, this disclosure relates to electronic and mechanicalsystems including haptic feedback handles, along with methods forlocating buried conductors, conduits, pipes and cables using hapticfeedback in various environments, including urban environments.

BACKGROUND

There are many situations where is it desirable to locate buriedutilities such as pipes and cables. For example, before starting any newconstruction that involves excavation, worker safety and economicconcerns require the precise location and identification of existingunderground utilities such as underground power lines, gas lines, phonelines, fiber optic cable conduits, cable television (CATV) cables,sprinkler control wiring, water pipes, sewer pipes, etc., collectivelyand individually herein referred to as “buried objects.”

Pipes and cables are often buried under roadways; thus, users engagingin a locate operation may be exposed to various roadway hazards, such ashigh traffic volume and/or speed, adverse weather conditions, poorvisibility, etc. Existing utility locating systems traditionallyinterface with the user by providing auditory and/or visual feedback,associated with information about the location of the buried object. Forexample, some utility locating systems display images on a screen, suchas arrows and/or emit an audible sound to provide left-right guidancetoward a buried object. Such feedback mechanisms may, however, detractfrom a user's situational awareness under various work conditions. Forexample, relying on a visual display and/or auditory signals to trace aburied object in heavy traffic may pose a risk to both users conductingthe locate operation, as well as drivers on the roadway.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the above-described,as well as other problems.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to utility locating systems,apparatus, and methods for providing directional information to a userabout a buried object.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a system, a method, a computerprogram product, and a locator with means for providing tactile feedbackto a user.

In another aspect, one or more feedback components may be configured toprovide tactile feedback based on position information relating to alocation of an object. The tactile feedback may be associated with arelative position of a locator (e.g., operated by a user) with respectto the location of the object.

In another aspect, the tactile feedback may indicate a direction inwhich a user may travel towards the object, an amount of distancebetween the user and the object, an orientation of the user with respectto the location of the object, a depth of the object below a surface,and/or other position information.

In yet another aspect, at least one feedback component may provide atime, frequency and/or amplitude modulated tactile feedback. Themodulated feedback may indicate direction, distance, orientation, and/ordepth of an object relative to a locator/user, or vice versa.

In yet another aspect, a feedback component may provide a first numberof activation periods (e.g., pulses) corresponding to a first number ofmeasurement units to indicate a first amount of distance between theuser and the object at a first instance in time. The feedback componentmay further provide a second number of activation periods correspondingto a second number of measurement units to indicate a second amount ofdistance between the user and the object at a second instance in time.The second number of activation periods and the second number ofmeasurement units may be less than the first number of activationperiods and the first number of measurement units when the second amountof distance is less than the first amount of distance. The second numberof activation periods and the second number of measurement units may begreater than the first number of activation periods and the first numberof measurement units when the second amount of distance is greater thanthe first amount of distance.

In yet another aspect, a feedback component may provide different time,frequency, or amplitude modulated tactile feedback associated withdifferent amounts of distance between the locator/user and the object atdifferent instances of time, where shorter, more frequent, or strongeractivation periods, respectively, are associated with shorter distancesas compared to activation periods associated with longer distances.

In yet another aspect, a plurality of feedback components may be used tocontact a user's body in order to convey position information. Forexample, feedback components like transducers (e.g., mechanical,acoustic, thermal, etc.) or other signaling components may be configuredto contact the user's hand via a handle, or contact other portions of auser's body via clothing worn by the user, including feedback componentsthat are coupled to or integrated with clothing (e.g., a vest, belt, oneor more pocket inserts, one or more gloves, waist band, one or morewristbands/watches, one or more ankle bands or socks, a headband or hat,right and left shoulder pads, front and back shoulder pads on right andleft shoulders). Such clothing-based feedback may be controlled usingwired or wireless means (e.g., known wireless communication protocolsfrom a locator or a smart phone).

In yet another aspect, a buried object locator includes one or morefeedback components disposed within a handle of the buried objectlocator and a locator module configured to determine positioninformation relating to a location of a buried object. In anotheraspect, the buried object locator includes a processing moduleconfigured to generate, based at least in part on the positioninformation, one or more control signals that control some or all of thetactile feedback components.

In one aspect, a first feedback component is configured to provide firsttactile feedback based on a first control signal, and a second feedbackcomponent is configured to provide no tactile feedback at a firstinstance of time to indicate a first direction in which the user maytravel towards the object.

In another aspect, a first feedback component may be disposed on a firstside of the handle and a second feedback component may be disposed on asecond side of the handle.

In yet another aspect, an array of three or more feedback components isused to provide tactile feedback.

Still, in yet another aspect, a plurality of feedback components may beconfigured to sequentially provide tactile feedback—e.g., so as toindicate a direction of rotation in which the user may rotate in orderto align the user along a path to the object, or to align a user alongthe object itself. In one example, the tactile feedback indicates aclockwise direction of rotation about a vertical “z” axis of a user whenthe tactile feedback includes tactile feedback from a first feedbackcomponent at a first instance of time, tactile feedback from a secondfeedback component at a second instance of time after the first instanceof time, and tactile feedback from a third feedback component at a thirdinstance of time after the second instance of time. Clockwise rotationcould alternatively be indicated by activating only the right feedbackcomponent where only two feedback components are used.

In yet another aspect, the tactile feedback may indicate a direction inwhich the user may travel towards the object, an amount of distancebetween the user and the object, and/or a depth of the object below asurface.

In accordance with yet another aspect, tactile feedback indicating adirection may include tactile feedback from a first feedback componentand no tactile feedback from a second feedback component, and tactilefeedback indicating an amount of distance may be modulated so as toprovide more frequent tactile feedback as the amount of distancedecreases over a time period.

In yet another aspect, a locator module may determine the positioninformation based on magnetic fields related to the buried object, GPSlocation technologies, cellular location technologies, LAN locationtechnologies, mapping technologies, and other technologies fordetermining locations of objects.

In yet another aspect, a plurality of feedback components may beconfigured to provide audio feedback based on the position informationrelating to the location of the object and further based on a locationand orientation of the user relative to the location of the objects.

Finally, in yet another aspect, tactile feedback may be based oninformation relating to an obstacle or hazard in the same environment asthe object.

Various additional aspects, details, features, and functions aredescribed below in conjunction with the appended Drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure may be more fully appreciated in connection withthe following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a locating system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially exploded view of a locator body of FIG.1, illustrating details of a handle assembly;

FIG. 3 is an exploded and cutaway view of an embodiment of the haptichandle assembly of FIGS. 1-2, illustrating details thereof;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the haptic handle assembly embodiment ofFIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a section view of the locator body embodiment of FIGS. 1 and2, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate embodimentlocator body;

FIG. 7 is an exploded and cutaway view of an alternate embodiment haptichandle assembly of FIG. 6, illustrating details thereof;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the alternate embodiment haptic handleassembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a section view of the alternate embodiment locator body, takenfrom line 9-9 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged section view of the alternate embodiment locatorbody as shown in FIG. 9, illustrating details thereof;

FIG. 11A illustrates an example buried object locate operation using alocator embodiment with a haptic handle and/or switches;

FIG. 11B illustrates an example buried object locate operation using alocator embodiment with a haptic handle and/or switches;

FIG. 11C illustrates an example buried object locate operation using alocator embodiment with a haptic handle and/or switches;

FIG. 12 illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for providinghaptic feedback using a haptic handle such as shown in FIG. 2 or 7;

FIG. 13 illustrates details of a buried object location operation andassociated tactile feedback;

FIG. 14 illustrates details of a buried object location operation andassociated tactile feedback control;

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a locatingsystem;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate embodimentlocator body; and

FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate embodimentlocator body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Overview

This disclosure relates generally to one or more locating systems andrelated accessories, apparatus, methods, and computer program productscomprising computer usable medium having a computer readable programcode embodied therein that is adapted to be executed for directionalnavigation in various environments based on sensory feedback, includingtactile and/or auditory feedback. More specifically, but notexclusively, this disclosure relates to a utility locating system forlocating buried objects, the system including a haptic interface forproviding tactile directional and/or location information associatedwith the buried object to a user.

Battery devices and related components as may be used with variousembodiments are described in patent applications including U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/521,262, entitled MODULARBATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, filed Aug. 8, 2011, andU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/501,172, entitledMODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, filed Jun. 24,2011. The content of each of these applications is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

Various additional aspects and details of buried object locator deviceelements, apparatus, systems, and methods which may be used inembodiments in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein aredescribed in co-assigned patent applications including U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/214,208, entitled ASYMMETRIC DRAG FORCE BEARINGSFOR USE WITH PUSH-CABLE STORAGE DRUMS, filed Aug. 21, 2011, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/704,808, entitled PIPE INSPECTION SYSTEM WITHREPLACEABLE CABLE STORAGE DRUM, filed Feb. 12, 2010, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/399,859, entitled PIPE INSPECTION SYSTEM WITHREPLACEABLE CABLE STORAGE DRUM, filed Mar. 6, 2009, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/371,540, entitled PUSH-CABLE FOR PIPE INSPECTIONSYSTEM, filed Feb. 13, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/152,662, entitled HIGH PERFORMANCE PIPE INSPECTION SYSTEM,filed Feb. 13, 2009. The content of each of these applications isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Various other aspects and details of buried object locator deviceelements, apparatus, systems, and methods which may be used inembodiments in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein aredescribed in co-assigned patent applications including U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/679,672, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKINGAPPARATUS, SYSTEMS, & METHODS, filed Aug. 3, 2012, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/469,024, entitled BURIED OBJECT LOCATORAPPARATUS AND SYSTEMS, filed May 10, 2012, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/619,327, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKINGLOCATOR DEVICES & METHODS, filed Apr. 2, 2012, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/615,810, entitled GROUND-TRACKING SYSTEMS ANDAPPARATUS, filed Mar. 26, 2012, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 61/614,829, entitled QUAD-GRADIENT COILS FOR USE IN LOCATINGSYSTEMS, filed Mar. 23, 2012, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 61/607,510, entitled DUAL SENSED LOCATING SYSTEMS & METHODS, filedMar. 6, 2012, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/599,404,entitled SMART PAINT STICK DEVICES AND METHODS, filed Feb. 15, 2012,U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/598,312, entitledOPTICAL GROUND TRACKING LOCATOR DEVICES & METHODS, filed Feb. 13, 2012,U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/561,809, entitledMULTI-FREQUENCY LOCATING SYSTEMS & METHODS, filed Nov. 18, 2011, U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/559,696, entitledQUAD-GRADIENT COILS FOR USE IN LOCATING SYSTEMS, filed Nov. 14, 2011,U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/531,598, entitledSYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATING BURIED OR HIDDEN OBJECTS USING SHEETCURRENT FLOW MODELS, filed Sep. 6, 2011, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/521,362, entitled PHASE SYNCHRONIZED BURIEDOBJECT LOCATOR APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, filed Aug. 8, 2011, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/161,183, entitled GROUND-TRACKING DEVICESFOR USE WITH A MAPPING LOCATOR, filed Jun. 15, 2011, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/041,320, entitled ECONOMICAL MAGNETIC LOCATORAPPARATUS AND METHOD, filed Mar. 4, 2011, U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/947,503, entitled IMAGE-BASED MAPPING LOCATING SYSTEM, filed Nov.16, 2010, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/939,591, entitledSMART PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES AS USER INTERFACES, filed Nov. 4,2010. The content of each of these applications is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

Certain aspects of the invention relate to directional navigation forusers within various environments, including, among others, urbanenvironments that pose various hazards, including vehicular traffic andstructural obstacles. Such directional navigation may use feedback,including tactile feedback and/or other feedback (e.g., auditory,visual, smell, and taste feedback). For the sake of simplicity,discussion of feedback herein is generally limited to tactile feedback.Such feedback may be delivered to a user's sensory receptors via variousmeans.

For example, means for delivering tactile feedback may include feedbackcomponents (e.g., mechanical transducers, acoustic transducers, thermaltransducers, or other signaling components) in a handle or otherstructure/item (e.g., vest, belt, pocket insert, glove, waist band,wristband, watch, ankle band, sock, headband, hat, shoulder pad,portable computing device like a smart phone, etc.) that contacts auser's hand or other body part (e.g., waist, ankle, wrist, head, neck,hip, torso, etc.). A handle, for example, may include one or moreisolated paths that each delivers separate tactile feedback. Attachmentswith one or more isolated paths that couple to existing handles or othercomponents are also contemplated. Feedback may be controlled using wiredor wireless means (e.g., known wireless communication protocols from alocator, a smart phone, or other processing system).

Tactile feedback, for example, may be used to indicate variouscharacteristics of an object, including location information specifyingan estimated location of the object relative to the location of alocator/user operating the locator. Such location information mayinclude an estimated distance between the object and the user, anoptimal direction of travel the user may take to reach the object (e.g.,including a direction of travel or directions of travel over time thatavoid environmental hazards), a depth of the object below the ground,and an orientation of the user with respect to the orientation of theobject (e.g., a long pipe) or with respect to a direction of travel.

Providing tactile feedback, for example, enables a user to rely on hisor her tactile senses to determine location information related to anobject while reserving other senses (e.g., sight, sound, etc.) tomonitor environmental conditions like traffic. One of skill in the artwill appreciate that the tactile feedback could instead be used toprovide information about those environmental conditions so the usercould rely on those other senses (e.g., sight, sound, etc.) for locatingthe buried object or reviewing location information about that buriedobject. For example, tactile feedback may be provided to alert the userof nearby traffic, obstructions, and/or potential tripping hazards.

Of course, different combinations of feedback may be used to conveydifferent combinations of environmental conditions and locationinformation while permitting the user to rely on any other sense forperceiving any remaining conditions. For example, tactile feedback mayprovide location information, and auditory feedback may alert the userto some hazards, while the user's vision may be relied upon to identifyother hazards. It is further contemplated that single or multiplefeedback paths may convey information related to both locationinformation specific to an objection and environmental conditions. Forexample, feedback that conveys both location information andenvironmental conditions may include an optimal direction of travel sothe user can reach the location of the object while avoiding certainenvironmental hazards (e.g., fences, moving vehicular traffic, or otherenvironmental features that limit movement).

Certain aspects of the invention relate to a haptic handle for use in aburied object locator including an input module configured to receiveinformation associated with a buried object, and an output moduleconfigured to provide tactile feedback as a haptic tactile output signalbased on the received information. The buried object locator may furtherinclude a locator module configured to determine location informationassociated with the buried object. One or more methods for locatingburied objects by determining location information associated with theburied object and providing haptic signaling based on the determinedlocation information are also contemplated.

Still other aspects of the invention relate to a buried object locatorthat may include, for example, a locator module configured to determinelocation and/or position information associated with a buried object anda haptic handle apparatus coupled to the locator. The haptic handle mayinclude one or more tactile feedback components. The one or more tactilefeedback components may be configured to provide tactile feedbackassociated with a relative position and/or location of the buried objectbased at least in part on the determined location and/or positioninformation. The location and/or position information may be determinedrelative to a position of the locator. The location and/or positioninformation may be determined in multiple dimensional axes, such as twoor three dimensions.

The tactile feedback associated with the relative position and/orlocation may, for example, be generated to provide feedback directing auser to a position or location of the buried object relative to theburied object locator. The tactile feedback associated with the relativeposition and/or location may be further generated to provide directionalfeedback based on a relative distance from the buried object locator tothe buried object. The tactile feedback associated with the relativeposition and/or location may further be generated to provide directionalfeedback based on a relative depth of the buried object below the groundor other surface, or relative to a height or distance of the buriedobject locator above the ground or other surface.

The haptic handle may further include, for example, one or more switchesconfigured to receive user switching inputs. The one or more switchesmay be disposed in proximity to the one or more tactile feedbackcomponents or may be disposed elsewhere on or in the buried objectlocator. The one or more switches may be disposed integrally with one ormore of the tactile feedback components. The one or more switches mayinclude a pair of switches disposed in substantially opposition ends ofones of the tactile feedback components. The one or more switches mayinclude a pair of switches disposed on opposition sides or ends of thehaptic handle.

The one or more tactile feedback components may include, for example, avibrational electric motor, a piezoelectric element, an electromagneticvibrational element such as an audio speaker, and/or other components ordevices capable of generating vibrational or touch-sensitive feedback toa user.

The one or more tactile feedback components may include, for example, anarray of tactile feedback components disposed on the haptic handle. Thearray may be an array of three or more tactile feedback components. Thethree or more tactile feedback components may be arrayed in a gridpattern on the handle. Feedback provided by the array may be generatedon the array to correspond with a direction, position, distance, and/ordepth to the buried object. Feedback provided by the array may befurther generated to provide tactilely distinct feedback for two or morelocated buried objects. The tactilely distinct feedback may be generatedsimultaneously.

The locator may further include, for example, a processing element toreceive and process locator signals and/or generate output signals suchas tactile feedback control signals. The processing element may beconfigured to receive one or more input signals from the locator modulecorresponding to the determined location and/or position information,and generate, based at least in part on the received locationinformation, tactile feedback control signals for use in providing thetactile feedback from the tactile feedback components. The processingelement may further include or be coupled to a tactile feedbackcontrol/driver circuit to control output from the tactile feedbackcomponents.

Alternative processing elements are also contemplated, includingprocessing elements in computing devices (e.g., portable computingdevices like smart phones and laptops). Such computing devices maycouple to one or more channels of a locator (e.g., via wired or wirelessconnections) to receive position information from the locator, ortransmit commands to feedback components at the locator (e.g., in thelocator's handle). These computing devices may also receive, throughvarious wired and wireless connections known in the art, additionalinformation from other sources (e.g., backend servers and/or databasesthat store information regarding the location of the object orenvironmental conditions, or local area networks/transmissions fromnearby hazards like cars and buildings) and may use that additionalposition information to control feedback components.

Use of computing devices like smart phones as additional or alternativeprocessing elements permits a user to use a legacy locator for obtaininglocation information, where feedback components may be coupled to orseparated from that legacy locator to deliver feedback using thatlocation information. Furthermore, use of such computing devices permitscentralized control of various feedback components (e.g., tactilefeedback components at a locator, and auditory feedback components neara user), and also enables use of computer applications that areotherwise not available at the locator.

Tactile feedback components may include, for example, a pair of tactilefeedback components, and the tactile feedback control signals maycorrespond to a right and/or left direction and/or distance and/or depthof the buried object relative to a location of the buried objectlocator. The tactile feedback control signals may be generated toprovide tactile feedback corresponding to a relative degree and/oramount of right or left offset and/or distance of the locator from theburied object. The tactile feedback control signals may be generated toprovide amplitude modulated tactile feedback. The amplitude modulatedtactile feedback may be provided in proportion to the relative degree oramount of right or left offset and/or distance. The amplitude modulatedtactile feedback may be provided in proportion to a depth to the buriedobject. The tactile feedback control signals may be generated to providetime modulated tactile feedback in proportion to the relative degree oramount of right or left offset and/or distance. The tactile feedbackcontrol signals may be generated to provide frequency modulated tactilefeedback in proportion to the relative degree or amount of right or leftoffset and/or distance and/or depth. The tactile feedback controlsignals may be generated to provide two or more of time modulation,amplitude modulation, and frequency modulation tactile feedbackcorresponding to relative degree or amount of right or left offsetand/or distance and/or depth.

Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method for locating aburied object. The method may include, for example, determining, in alocator module, location and/or position information associated with theburied object. The method may further include providing a haptic tactilefeedback output associated with a relative position and/or location ofthe buried object from one or more tactile feedback components, whereinthe feedback output is based at least in part on the determined locationinformation. The method may further include, for example, receiving aswitching input from a switch disposed in proximity to one of thetactile feedback components and generating a control signal in thelocator based on the received switching input.

The one or more tactile feedback components may include a pair oftactile feedback components, and the method may further includegenerating tactile feedback control signals in a processing element. Thetactile feedback control signals may correspond to a right and/or leftdirection and/or distance of the buried object relative to a location ofthe buried object locator. The right and/or left direction or distancesignals may correspond to a relative degree and/or amount of right orleft offset and/or distance of the locator from the buried object and/ora depth to the buried object. The tactile feedback control signals maybe generated to provide amplitude modulated tactile feedback. Theamplitude modulated tactile feedback may be in proportion to the rightor left offset and/or distance and/or depth of the buried object. Thetactile feedback control signals may be generated to provide timemodulated tactile feedback in proportion to the right or left offsetand/or distance and/or depth. The tactile feedback control signals maybe generated to provide frequency modulated tactile feedback inproportion to the right or left offset and/or distance and/or depth. Thetactile feedback control signals may be generated to provide two or moreof time modulated, amplitude modulated, and frequency modulated tactilefeedback. The feedback may correspond to the right or left offset and/ordistance and/or depth to the buried object.

The method may alternatively or additionally determine, in a locatormodule, location and/or position information associated with the buriedobject. The method may further provide a haptic tactile feedback outputassociated with a relative position and/or location and/or depth of theburied object from one or more tactile feedback components. The feedbackoutput may be based at least in part on the determined locationinformation.

Certain aspects of the invention relate to a computer readable medium.The computer readable medium may include, for example, instructions forcausing a computer or other processor-implemented device to receive,from a locator module, location and/or position information associatedwith a buried object and generate, based at least in part on thelocation and/or position information, tactile feedback control signalsassociated with a relative position and/or location of the buriedobject. The instructions may further include instructions to provide thetactile feedback control signals to one or more tactile feedbackcomponents disposed in a haptic handle.

The medium may further include instructions, for example, for receivingone or more switch inputs from one or more of a plurality of switcheslocated in proximity to the tactile feedback component, and providing acontrol signal based at least in part on the one or more switch inputs.The tactile feedback control signals may be generated to control tactilefeedback output of a vibrational motor. The tactile feedback controlsignals may be generated to control tactile feedback output of apiezoelectric element. The tactile feedback control signals may begenerated to control tactile feedback output of an electromagneticvibrational element.

The tactile feedback components may include, for example, a pair oftactile feedback components, and the tactile feedback control signalsmay correspond to a right and/or left direction and/or distance of theburied object relative to a location of the buried object locator. Thetactile feedback control signals may be generated to provide tactilefeedback corresponding to a relative degree of right or left offsetand/or distance and/or depth of the locator from the buried object. Thetactile feedback control signals may be generated to provide amplitudemodulated tactile feedback in proportion to the right or left offsetand/or distance and/or depth. The tactile feedback control signals maybe generated to provide time modulated tactile feedback in proportion tothe right or left offset and/or distance and/or depth. The tactilefeedback control signals may be generated to provide frequency modulatedtactile feedback in proportion to the right or left offset and/ordistance and/or depth. The tactile feedback control signals may begenerated to provide two or more of time modulation, amplitudemodulation, and frequency modulation tactile feedback corresponding tothe right or left offset and/or distance and/or depth.

Certain aspects of the invention relate to an apparatus for use in ahaptic device. The apparatus may include, for example, an input moduleconfigured to receive information associated with a location of atarget. The apparatus may further include a processing module, includinga processing element, coupled to the input module to receive and processthe location information. The apparatus may further include an outputmodule coupled to the processing module, the output module configured toreceive an output tactile control signal from the processing module andgenerate a tactile feedback output based at least in part on thereceived location information.

The haptic device may be, for example, a buried object locator and thetarget may be a buried object or otherwise hidden or inaccessibleobject, such as a pipe, cable, conduit, cavity, or other object. Theinput module may be configured to receive the location information froma buried object locator module of a buried object locator. The outputmodule may be configured to generate the tactile feedback output tocorrespond with an angle and/or direction of the buried object relativeto a position of the buried object locator. The tactile feedback maycorrespond to a relative offset to the left or right of the target withreference to the buried object locator.

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to systems, apparatus, means,methods, and computer readable media for providing information to a userabout the relative location of a buried object using tactile feedbackusing any of the features described herein or variations understandableto one of skill in the art. Various additional aspects, details,features, and functions are described below in conjunction with theappended Drawings.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a locating system 100 inaccordance with certain aspects is illustrated. The locating system 100may include a locator body 102, which may be disposed on the upper endof a locator mast 104. An upper antenna node 106, a middle antenna node108, and a lower antenna node 110 may be disposed vertically along themast 104. The locator body 102 may include a battery dock 112 formedinto one end, and a central locator handle assembly 114. A right touchface 116 may be molded into the handle assembly 114 with a rightovermold 118. The right touch face 116 may be disposed on the outersurface of a hard molded capsule of ABS or similar material which may beinserted into the locator body 102 and overmolded to the handle. Alocator display screen 120 and a locator keypad 122 may be operablyattached at the other end of the handle assembly 114.

A display screen cover 126 may optionally include a sensor (not shown)for detecting the position of the display screen cover 126, such as forexample, open (unfolded) or closed. In order to conserve battery power,the sensor may turn off certain functionality of the locating system100, such as for example, when it detects that the display screen cover126 is in a closed position. Upper antenna node 106 may include anomnidirectional antenna disposed within a central housing 123. Lowerantenna node 110 may include an omnidirectional antenna array disposedwithin a central housing 127, which may be disposed between an internalright gradient antenna (not shown) disposed within housing 128 and aninternal left gradient antenna (not shown) disposed within a housing130.

Still referring to FIG. 1, a rechargeable battery, such as a lucidbattery 132, may be disposed at the end of handle assembly 114 forproviding power to the locating system 100. Lucid battery 132 and acorresponding receiver and/or shoe module (not shown in FIG. 1) may beconstructed in accordance with embodiments described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/521,262, filed Aug. 8, 2011, entitled MODULARBATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/501,172, filed Jun. 24, 2011, entitled MODULARBATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein. For example, locator body102 may be configured with a battery pack system, which may include abattery receiver 202 (see FIG. 2) mated with a rechargeable batterypack, such as battery pack 132 to provide power to the locating system100. The battery receiver 202 may be mounted to battery dock 112 forproviding electrical connection and latching. Signals from the rightgradient antenna 128 and left gradient antenna 130 may be processed bycomputational circuits disposed within the locator body 102 and comparedto the computed center of the buried conductor as detected by the upperomnidirectional antenna array 123 and the lower omnidirectional antennaarray 127.

Similarly, FIG. 15 depicts certain aspects of an embodiment of alocating system 1500 in accordance with certain aspects. The locatingsystem 1500 may include a locator body 1502. The locator body 1502 mayinclude a battery dock 1512 formed into one end, and a central locatorhandle assembly 1514. A right touch face 1516 may be molded into thehandle assembly 1514 with a right overmold 1518. The right touch face1516 may be disposed on the outer surface of a hard molded capsule ofABS or similar material which may be inserted into the locator body 1502and overmolded to the handle. A rechargeable battery, such as a lucidbattery 132, may be disposed at the end of handle assembly 1514 forproviding power to the locating system 1500. An optical ground trackingcomponent 1510 is also included in the locating system 1500, and may beconnected via a USB interface (not shown in FIG. 15).

Various aspects and details of the optical ground tracking component1510 and methods of its use which may be used in embodiments inconjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein are described inco-assigned patent applications including U.S. patent application Ser.No. 61/679,672, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, &METHODS, filed Aug. 3, 2012, U.S. patent application Ser. No.61/619,327, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKING LOCATOR DEVICES ANDMETHODS, filed Apr. 2, 2012, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.61/598,312, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKING LOCATOR DEVICES ANDMETHODS, filed Feb. 13, 2012. The content of each of these applicationsis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Referring to FIG. 2, an enlarged partially exploded view of locator body102 illustrates additional details of the handle assembly 114. Forexample, lucid battery pack 132 is removed from handle assembly 114 toillustrate how the pack 132 mates with the battery receiver 202.

A right touch face 116 may be molded into the handle assembly 114 with aright overmold 118. The right overmold 118 may be formed using variousmaterials, including any suitable elastomers. The right touch face 116may be the outer surface of a formed capsule which encloses a vibratingelement, details of which will be discussed in FIGS. 3-5.

Turning to FIG. 3, details of a left handle side embodiment 300 isillustrated. Left handle side 300 may correspond to one of two of themolded halves which may be joined to form the handle assembly 114 (FIGS.1-2). One or more vibrating elements, such as a left vibrating element302, may be disposed within the housing of handle assembly 114 (FIGS.1-2). In an exemplary embodiment, a left containing capsule 304 may be,for example, overmolded into the left handle side 300, and retain theleft vibrating element 302. The outer surface of the left containingcapsule 304 may provide a left touch face (not shown in FIG. 3) similarto the right touch face 116 (FIGS. 1-2). A trigger 306 a is moved awayfrom a pivot attachment 306 b, for purposes of illustration. The trigger306 a activates a micro switch 310 and may be used by the operator toinitialize an electronic marking data point at locations of interest orfor other control functions and operator indications. The micro switch310 may be retained by a screw 314.

Still referring to FIG. 3, a battery dock section 308 may form thecomplete battery dock 112 (FIGS. 1-2) when the left handle side 300mates with a corresponding right handle side 400 (FIG. 4). A sealingelement, such as cap seal 312, may be used to seal the mast 104 (FIGS.1-2) where it joins the locator body 102 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the haptic handle assembly embodiment 114of FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating details thereof. The left handle side 300and a right handle side 400 may be mated to form the housing of haptichandle assembly 114. In an exemplary embodiment, the left vibratingelement 302 and a right vibrating element 402 may be individuallysnap-fit into the left containing capsule 304 and a right containingcapsule 502 (not shown in FIG. 4), respectively. The left containingcapsule 304 may be overmolded into the left handle side 300 and theright containing capsule (502 in FIG. 5) may be overmolded into theright handle side 400. The outer surface of the left containing capsule304 may provide the left touch face (not shown), while the outer surfaceof the right containing capsule (not shown) provides the right touchface 116. One or more fasteners, such as screws 406 may be used toassemble the left handle side 300 and the right handle side 400.

The left vibrating element 302 and the right vibrating element 402 maybe, for example, magnetically driven micro vibration motors, such as theZ6DL2B0055211 3.0-volt device available from Jin Long Machinery of 640Dean Street, Brooklyn, N.Y., 11238, or a similar device. In an exemplaryembodiment, the vibrating element may have a vibration rate of ˜11000rpm with a shaft endplay of between 0.1 and 0.3 mm.

The left vibrating element 302 and the right vibrating element 402 mayoscillate in defined bursts, sequences, etc., to indicate the directiondesired to approach the computed center of the target buried conductor.The haptic signals provided by elements 302 and 402 may optionally beprovided in various durations, which may depend on the distance to acomputed center, or may be timed at selected intervals. For example, thevibrating elements may provide less frequent haptic signals to indicategreater distance from the computed center as compared to more frequentsignals for distances that are closer to the computed center. Thevibrating elements may be otherwise configured to optimize the hapticsignals as an effective communication to aid the locator operator in histask.

Other vibration elements (not shown in FIG. 4) may be disposed in or onthe haptic handle assembly 114 to provide additional haptic signals. Forexample, vibration elements may be disposed on the top of the handleassembly 114, at or near the trigger 306 a, and/or near the vibrationelements 302 and 402 along the left handle side 300 and right handleside 400, respectively. One or more vibration elements may be used toprovide different information to the locator operator using hapticsignals. For example, haptic signals may provide a direction of rotationneeded so as to align the locator operator with the direction of theburied target once the operator is positioned above the center of theburied target.

In one aspect, the left vibrating element 302 and right vibratingelement 402 may be separated to provide directional isolation of thesignals. For example, left vibrating element 302 and right vibratingelement 402 may each be disposed in a separate housing, such as lefthandle side 300 and right handle side 400, respectively. The individualtouch areas may be coupled to the senses of the hand to provide discretedirectional haptic signals. The overmolds connecting the capsules to theother parts of the handle sides of the handle assembly 114 may minimizeand/or eliminate noticeable vibrations at all parts of the handleassembly 114 (with the exception of the touch areas of the capsules).

Turning to FIG. 5, a section view of the locator body embodiment 102 ofFIGS. 1 and 2, taken from line 5-5, illustrates details. For example,the left vibrating element 302 may be disposed in the left containingcapsule 304 and the right vibrating element 402 may be disposed in aright containing capsule 502. The left containing capsule 304 and theright containing capsule 502 may be overmolded into their respectivehandle sides, and each may include a vibrating element which may besnap-fit into the containing capsule. The right side of right touch faceovermold 118 and the left side of a left touch face overmold 500integrate the right containing capsule 502 and the left containingcapsule 304 into the right handle side 400 and the left handle side 300,respectively. The external faces of the left containing capsule 304 andthe right containing capsule 502 may provide a left touch face 504 andright touch face 116, respectively.

The locator handle assembly 114 may include trigger 306 a, anchored bythe trigger pivot attachment 306 b (not shown), which may be centrallylocated on the underside of the handle's grip, such as, for example,where the operator's fingers may detect a signal. Pressing the trigger306 a may activate the micro switch 310 and may generate an electronicsignal used to establish an electronic position mark at a location ofinterest. Such position marks may be electronically stored in thelocator's on-board memory and combined with GPS positional information,for example, in generating mapping images of the locate process orreturning to a previously identified location.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate embodimentlocator body 602. Locator body 602 may be configured with variouselements, such as the elements described in FIGS. 1 and 2). For example,locator body 602 may be configured with a rechargeable battery pack,such as battery pack 132 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to provide power to a locatingsystem, such as, for example, locating system 100. Locator body 602 mayinclude an alternate handle assembly embodiment 614 and a touch pad 616,which may be disposed on the surface of handle assembly embodiment 614,to provide an interface between the operator and locator system 100.

Similarly, FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of alocator body associated with the locating system 1500 of FIG. 15. Asshown, FIG. 16 depicts the battery pack 132 as providing power to alocating system (e.g., locating system 1500), the optical ground trackercomponent 1510, the battery dock 1512, the handle assembly 1514, thetouch face 1516, and the overmold 1518. Also shown are a mounting ear1610 for the optical ground tracker component 1510, anti-skid overmoldedcleats 1620, and an access port cover 1630 (e.g., a phono socket andrubber plug).

FIG. 17 offers a different orientation from FIG. 16, and depicts atrigger 1706, a recess 1710 for the optical ground tracker mounting ear1610, and a socket 1712 (e.g., a USB port) for a connection with theoptical ground tracker component 1510 or another component (not shown).

Turning to FIG. 7, details of a left handle side embodiment 700configured with a locator mast 704 is illustrated. For example, lefthandle side 700 may correspond to one of a pair of molded halves, whichmay be joined to form the handle assembly 614 (FIG. 6). A batterydocking, such as battery docking area 708 may be used to mount areceiver 202 (FIG. 2) to interface with battery pack 132. A backupbattery 712 may be used to provide power to the system, such as forexample, system 100. One or more switch elements, such as tactile switchelements 722 may be disposed on a circuit board, such as a squeeze gripPCB 720, which may be mounted to the inner housing of left handle side700 with one or more fasteners, such as a pair of screws 726. One ormore vibrating elements, such as a left vibrating element 802 (FIG. 8)may be disposed behind squeeze grip PCB 720 and seated in a capsule (notshown) in the inside surface of left handle side 700.

A left vibrating element 802 (FIG. 8) and a trigger 706 may beelectrically connected to PCB 720. The trigger 706 may be hinged at thepivot 706 a and pushes down on the lever arm of a micro switch element710. A spring element, such as spring 716, may be used to push thetrigger 706 back out to its rest position. The micro switch 710 may beconfigured similarly to a micro switch disposed under the button of acomputer mouse. For example, the button on the outside of a mouse may bedepressed, and the micro switch 710 disposed underneath may provide theclicking sound and feel. When the micro switch 710 clicks, variouscircuitry and electronics may detect this action, which may be noted bythe computer.

The trigger 706 may include pins (not shown) so the trigger may pivot atthe hinge to activate the micro switch 710. In one aspect, trigger 706may be actuated by an operator's pinky finger or other finger.Alternatively, a user may depress an external pad, such as for example,a left touch face 1052 (see FIG. 10), to activate tactile switch element722 which may be used for marking points of interest along a locate jobor other indications.

Referring to FIG. 8, an exploded view of the alternate embodiment haptichandle assembly 614 of FIG. 6 is illustrated. A sealing element, such ascap seal 312, may be used to seal the mast 104 (FIGS. 1 and 2) where itjoins the locator body 102 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Various elements may beincluded in haptic handle assembly 614, such as for example, a backupbattery 712 (FIG. 7), which may be retained in a compartment disposedwithin a housing, such as mated left handle housing 700 and a righthandle housing 800, and sealed with a left battery sealing element 838and a right battery seal element 842. Backup battery 712 may berechargeable and may supply power when the primary battery (e.g.,battery 132) is removed.

In one aspect, a smaller circuit board, such as circuit board 820 may beelectrically connected to squeeze grip PCB 720 with one or more pins,such as pogo pins 826. One or more vibrating elements, such as a leftvibrating element 802 and a right vibrating element 822, may beelectrically connected to PCB 720 and PCB 820, respectively to provideindependent left-right feedback to the operator.

Still referring to FIG. 8, battery receiver 202 may be mounted on thesurface of battery dock section (not shown) so it can electricallyconnect to a corresponding battery pack, such as for example, batterypack 132 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Squeeze grip PCB 720 may be mounted to theinner housing of left handle side 700 with one or more fasteners, suchas screws 726. Trigger 706 including pivot element 706 a, micro switch710 and spring 716 may be disposed in left handle housing 700.

Referring to FIG. 9, a section view of the alternate embodiment locatorbody 602, taken from line 9-9 of FIG. 6, illustrates details. Locatorbody 902 may include a locator keypad 922. An enlarged section viewillustrates details of the haptic interface 950.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged section view of the haptic interface 950 of FIG.9, illustrating details thereof. In one aspect, haptic interface 950 mayinclude a pair of vibrating elements, such as the left vibrating element802 (FIG. 8), which may be disposed within a left capsule of left touchface 1052, and the right vibrating element 822 (FIG. 8), which may bedisposed within a right capsule of right touch face 1054. In one aspect,haptic interface 950 may include an overmold which may be formed by aleft side overmold 1062 and a right side overmold 1064 mated together.The overmold may include one or more pleats, such as left pleat 1062 aand right pleat 1064 a. The purpose of this pleat or fold in theovermold is to allow the vibrating element to move (or “vibrate”)independently from the rest of the handle. The independent movementallows the handle to provide directional (left and right) feedback tothe operator. The vibrating elements essentially “float” in theovermold.

Still referring to FIG. 10, one or more tactile switch elements, such asa left tactile switch element 1022 and right tactile switch element 722may be disposed on PCB 720. Left tactile switch element 1022 may beoriented to face left vibrating motor element 802, and right tactileswitch element 722 may be oriented to face right vibrating motor element822.

FIG. 11A illustrates an example usage of a locator device 1100 includinga haptic handle 1116. An Operator 1105 may be doing an inspection ortracing operation to locate a buried object 1107 under the ground orother surface 1103 (e.g., grass, concrete, asphalt paving, buildingbasement, or between floors, etc.) at a depth D below the ground. Thelocator 1100 may include one or more magnetic field antennas 1102, whichmay be, for example, omnidirectional antenna arrays capable of sensingmagnetic fields in two or more dimensions. In operation, the haptichandle element 1116 provides tactile feedback output, in the form ofvibrations or other tactile feedback, to assist the user 1105 to locatethe buried object 1107, in X-Y axes (e.g., perpendicular to thedirection of the depth, and/or in the Z-axis (e.g., along the directionof depth, D).

One example locate operation is shown in the plan view illustration ofFIG. 11B. In this view, the locator is seen from above as it wouldappear to an operator looking toward the ground. In this example, thehaptic handle includes two tactile feedback components, 1116-L and1116-R, corresponding to left and right sides of the locator when viewedfrom above by an operator. Other embodiments may use fewer or moretactile feedback components, and those feedback components may bedistributed on the handle in various positions, such as in a linear orgrid array, around the handle from top to bottom, and the like. In theexample of FIG. 11B, the buried object 1107 is located below the groundto the right of the operator (e.g., Right Side Offset as shown). Uponsensing the location or position of the buried object 1107, the locatorand associated processing module may generate haptic feedback to directthe operator to or indicate the direction of the buried object relativeto the locator. For example, the right side element 1116-R may beactuated, creating a buzzing sensation on the user's hand on the rightside. Other tactile feedback outputs indicating the relative direction,position, and/or location of the buried object may also be used.

FIG. 11C illustrates a similar example to that of FIG. 11B, with thelocator 1100 offset in this example to the right of the buried object(the buried object is located on the operator's left side, at a LeftSide Offset). In this case, the left side tactile feedback component1116-L may be actuated to indicate the relative direction to the buriedobject. Alternately, combinations of left and right side tactileelements may be actuated in various embodiments, such as to indicateangles, relative distances, depths to the object, and the like. Inaddition, other tactile parameters, such as amplitude modulation,frequency, on/off time, and the like may be controlled to providedirectional and/or depth feedback. In some embodiments, multiple buriedobjects may be detected and signaled to the user by providingdistinctive feedback for each object.

FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of certain details of one embodimentof a locator system 1200 for providing haptic feedback. System 1200 mayinclude a locator module embodiment 1210 and a processing element ormodule 1220, which may be coupled to the locator module and receivelocation and/or position and/or depth signals or information from it.Locator module 1210 may include one or more antennas 1212, which may besingle direction or omnidirectional magnetic field antennas or antennaarrays. The antennas 1212 may be coupled to a signal condition andprocessing circuit 1214, which may process the antenna signals andgenerate output signals to be provided to the processing element 1220.Processing element 1220 may include one or more processors 1224 or otherprogrammable devices, one or more memories 1222, and other electroniccircuits, such as one or more output modules 1226 for generating outputsignals for controlling operation of the tactile elements viaconnection(s) 1240. Processing element 1220 may further includeinterfaces for receiving and/or sending data or information to userdisplay devices, GUIs, etc., via connection 1230, and may also includeinterfaces to or from outer inputs or outputs via connections 1250, suchas wireless modules, USB modules, other serial or parallel interfaces,analog signaling interfaces, and the like. Various additional details ofembodiments of antennas 1212 and processing elements 1220 are describedin the incorporated applications and may be used in conjunction with thedisclosures herein.

FIG. 13 illustrates details of a process embodiment 1300 for providingtactile feedback in a locator or other device. At stage 1310,information associated with a buried object, such as position, location,and/or depth may be measured or sensed, such as described in theincorporated applications. This may be done in a locator module 1210,such as through use of antennas 1212 and circuitry 1214, and thenprocessed in a processing element, such as processing element 1220 asshown in FIG. 12.

At stage 1320, the buried object information may be provided to theprocessing element.

At stage 1330, an output signal, such as a tactile feedback controlsignal to control generation of tactile feedback from a tactile feedbackcomponent such as shown in FIGS. 11A-11C, may be generated. The signalmay be generated at least in part based on location, position,orientation and/or depth information provided from the locator module.

At stage 1340, tactile user feedback may be generated, such as in theform of controlled vibration or other tactile feedback output. Thegenerated tactile feedback may be controlled by the output controlsignal provided from the processing element.

The process 1300 may further include, for example, receiving a switchinginput from a switch disposed in proximity to one of the tactile feedbackcomponents, and generating a control signal in the locator based on thereceived switching input.

The one or more tactile feedback components may include a pair oftactile feedback components, and the process 1300 may further includegenerating tactile feedback control signals in a processing element.

Tactile feedback control signals may correspond to any of a variety ofnavigation information. For example, the signals may correspond todirection (e.g., right or left) from the current position of the buriedobject locator towards the location of the buried object. FIG. 14, byillustration, shows one implementation of stage 1330 for controlling twofeedback components to indicate that a buried object is located to theright of a buried object locator. At stage 1431, a tactile feedbackoutput control signal is generated based on location informationspecifying that the object is located to the right of the locator. Atstage 1433, the tactile feedback output control signal is transmitted toa tactile feedback output element on the right side of the locator'shandle so as to permit that tactile feedback output element to generatetactile feedback output. At stage 1435, the tactile feedback outputcontrol signal is not transmitted to a tactile feedback output elementon the left side of the locator's handle so as to prohibit that tactilefeedback output element from generating tactile feedback output.

The signals may, of course, correspond to any directional angle oftravel, and feedback components may be controlled accordingly usingmodulation, activating any number of feedback components, and activatingdifferent feedback components or using different modulation in aparticular order. The signals may alternatively or additionallycorrespond to a distance of the buried object relative to a location ofthe buried object locator or a depth of the object.

Where only two feedback components are used on opposite sides of thehandle, selective activation of the right and/or left feedback componentusing different modulation may indicate relative degrees of directionand distance to the buried object with respect to an orientation of theburied object locator. For example, a longer activation period of theleft feedback component simultaneous with or followed by a shorteractivation period of the right feedback component may indicate adirectional angle between the front and left of a user. Activation ofeach feedback component at the same time may indicate that the buriedobject is located in front of the user. Activation of feedbackcomponents in a particular, sequential order may indicate a rotationaldirection in which the user may turn so that the location of the buriedobject eventually aligns with the front of the user or so the user maywalk along the buried object. Also, depth information may be provided byvarying the activation and modulation of particular feedback components.

One of skill will readily understand various combinations of amplitude,frequency, and time modulation that may be used to indicate positioninformation. Furthermore, one of skill in the art will appreciatevarious combinations of serial and/or simultaneous activation patternsof one or more feedback components that may be used to indicate positioninformation. One of skill in the art will further appreciate variouscombinations of activation patterns and modulation that may be used toindicate position information.

For example, a feedback component may be configured to provide a numberof pulses, a length of a pulse, an amplitude of a pulse, or a pause ofcertain duration between pulses to indicate a number of measurementunits between the user/locator and the object. The feedback componentmay later provide a different number, length, amplitude, or pause whenthe user/locator has moved closer or farther away from the object. Themeasurement units may correspond to imperial or metric units ofmeasurement, or a user-specific measurement unit such as a typicalstride of the user or the remaining time to the object based on theuser's speed. One of skill in the art will appreciate that alternativetypes of tactile feedback may be provided as opposed to pulses,including vibration, electric shock, and others.

By way of another example, two or more feedback components may beconfigured to sequentially provide tactile feedback so as to indicate adirection of rotation in which the user may rotate in order to align theuser along a path to the object or along a length of the object. Forexample, the tactile feedback may indicate a clockwise direction ofrotation about a vertical axis of the user when the tactile feedbackincludes tactile feedback from a first feedback component at a firstinstance of time, tactile feedback from a second feedback component at asecond instance of time after the first instance of time, and(optionally) tactile feedback from a third feedback component at a thirdinstance of time after the second instance of time. The feedback fromeach feedback component may be modulated to further specify thedirection of rotation and the degree of rotation. Of course, activationof only one feedback component may indicate a direction of rotation(e.g., activation of a right-side feedback component to indicateclockwise rotation).

When indicating a direction, the feedback components may be controlledto direct a user in an indirect direction with respect to the object sothat the user avoids certain hazards when moving. The indirect directionmay be generally in the direction of the object, but may not necessarilyguide the user to the object along the shortest path to the object. Forexample, if an object is located on the other side of a fence, thefeedback components may be controlled to guide the user in a directionto the nearest opening of the fence. Once the user passes through theopening, the feedback components may be controlled to guide the useralong the short path to the object from the opening. The feedbackcomponents could similarly guide a user around vehicular traffic, oraround an obstacle like a lamp post or other object beyond the view of auser.

One of skill in the art will appreciate that auditory feedback usingspeakers or other sound-emitting components to convey positioninformation is also contemplated. Use of multiple speakers positioned atdifferent directions from a user's ear(s) may provide positioninformation. Speakers may be mounted on the user's body or otherwisepositioned within an audible distance to the user. Control of thespeakers may be implemented using any of the wireless means and methodsdisclosed herein, including wireless control from a buried objectlocator or smart phone using known wireless technologies. Although theposition of speakers may vary, in one example speakers are positionedbehind, in front, at the sides, and/or at any angle from the user's earsin order to permit directional navigation and conveying of variousposition and environmental information. As with tactile feedback,auditory feedback may be modulated in time, frequency and amplitude.Different sounds may also be used to convey different information.

One of skill in the art will also appreciate that certain aspectsdescribed herein may apply to navigation in general, includingnavigation of users who are blind or have issues with vision, andnavigation of users (e.g., shoppers, tourists, etc.) in urban or otherenvironments. For example, certain aspects may be applied to providingindications of direction away from obstacles, or direction towardscertain locations (e.g., a commercial establishment matching apredefined characteristic like offering a desired product or service.

While “object” used above refers to physical objects in realenvironments, one of skill in the art will also appreciate that certainaspects described herein may apply to providing directional informationin virtual game play where the directional information is provided basedon locations of a virtual player, a virtual (i.e., nonphysical) object,and/or virtual conditions. Of course, there are many differences betweenproviding directional information using tactile feedback based onvirtual game play environments as compared to using tactile feedbackbased on real (i.e., physical) environments. For instance, variables andinformation relating to the virtual and real environments aredetermined, provided and used by different components. For example, in avirtual world, information regarding the environment is based on codedrules and stored definitions of virtual objects. Real world information,on the other hand, is based on detected conditions, physical properties,and technologies (e.g., mapping and location technologies, sensors,physical characteristics of objects and environment). Although certainfeedback may be applied to both virtual and real world environments, thebasis of that feedback and how it is conveyed to a user will varybetween the environments.

In some configurations, the apparatus, circuit, modules, or systemsdescribed herein may include means for implementing features orproviding functions described herein, such as for determining location,position, and/or depth information and generating tactile output signalsand tactile output from tactile feedback components. In one aspect, theaforementioned means may be a module including a processor orprocessors, associated memory and/or other electronics in whichembodiments of the invention reside, such as to implement signalprocessing, switching, transmission, or other functions to processand/or condition tactile outputs, locator inputs or outputs, and/orprovide other electronic functions described herein. These may be, forexample, modules or apparatus residing in buried object locators and/orother related equipment or devices.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the electronic functions, methodsand processes described herein and associated with locators may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded asone or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium.Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage mediamay be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can compriseRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc,optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray discwhere disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproducedata optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also beincluded within the scope of computer-readable media.

As used herein, computer program products comprising computer-readablemedia including all forms of computer-readable medium except to theextent that such media is deemed to be non-statutory, transitorypropagating signals.

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps or stagesin any processes or methods disclosed herein are examples of exemplaryapproaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that thespecific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearrangedwhile remaining within the scope of the present disclosure unless notedotherwise.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals,such as video and/or audio signals or data, control signals, or othersignals or data may be represented using any of a variety of differenttechnologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands,information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referencedthroughout the above description may be represented by voltages,currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, opticalfields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Those of skill in the art would further appreciate that the variousillustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm stepsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may beimplemented as electronic hardware, computer software,electro-mechanical components, or combinations thereof. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the present disclosure.

The various illustrative functions and circuits described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein with respect to locators,processing elements, and haptic feedback components, controls, andapparatus may be implemented or performed with a general purposeprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed toperform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor maybe a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be anyconventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. Aprocessor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices,e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality ofmicroprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSPcore, or any other such configuration.

The steps or stages of a method, process or algorithm described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodieddirectly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, orin a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory,flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, harddisk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage mediumknown in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to theprocessor such that the processor can read information from, and writeinformation to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storagemedium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storagemedium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. Inthe alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside asdiscrete components in a user terminal.

As used herein, any reference to an element in the singular is notintended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, butrather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term“some” refers to one or more. A phrase referring to “at least one of” alist of items refers to any combination of those items, including singlemembers. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended tocover: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b and c.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided toenable any person skilled in the art to make or use the presentdisclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from thespirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is notintended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to beaccorded the widest scope consistent with the aspects and features shownand described herein in the specification and drawings.

We claim:
 1. A method for providing tactile feedback in a utilitylocator, comprising: Providing, on or in a handle element of the utilitylocator, tactile feedback based at least in part on position informationdetermined in the utility locator relating to a location of a buriedobject.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the buried object is anunderground pipe or conduit.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theburied object is an underground wire or cable.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the tactile feedback indicates a position of the utility locatorburied with respect to a location of the buried object.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: providing the tactile feedback from two ormore feedback components disposed within the handle element.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback indicates one or more ofa direction towards a location of the buried object, an amount ofdistance to the buried object, and a depth of the buried object below asurface.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback ismodulated in one or more of time, frequency, and amplitude.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: determining the positioninformation based at least in part on magnetic field signals emittedfrom the buried object.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:generating, based on the position information, one or more controlsignals, wherein a feedback component provides the tactile feedbackbased on the one or more control signals.
 10. The method of claim 5,wherein the providing tactile feedback includes: providing a firsttactile feedback output from a first tactile feedback component whileproviding no tactile feedback output from a second tactile feedbackcomponent to indicate a direction towards the location of the buriedobject.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first feedback component isdisposed on a first side of the handle element and a second feedbackcomponent is disposed on a second side of the handle element.
 12. Acomputer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usablemedium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, saidcomputer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement amethod for providing tactile feedback in a utility locator, the methodcomprising: providing one or more tactile feedback outputs based atleast in part on position information relating to a location of a buriedobject.
 13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein thetactile feedback indicates a relative position of the utility locatorwith respect to a location of the buried object.
 14. The computerprogram product of claim 42, the method further comprising: providingthe tactile feedback from two or more feedback components disposedwithin a handle of the utility locator, wherein a first feedbackcomponent is disposed on a first side of the handle and a secondfeedback component is disposed on a second side of the handle.
 15. Thecomputer program product of claim 12, wherein the tactile feedbackprovides an indication of one or more of a direction towards location ofthe buried object, an amount of distance to the buried object, and adepth of the buried object below a surface.
 16. The computer programproduct of claim 15, wherein the tactile feedback is modulated in one ormore of time, frequency, and amplitude.
 17. The computer program productof claim 12, further comprising: determining the position informationbased on magnetic field signals emitted from the buried object;generating, based on the position information, one or more controlsignals; and providing, based on the one or more control signals, afirst tactile feedback output from a first tactile feedback componentwhile providing no tactile feedback output from a second tactilefeedback component to indicate a direction towards the location of theburied object.